Lord of the Rings: A New Evil
by Cassie Bogner
Summary: Disclaimer: I own nothing and do not claim to own anything. The One ring to rule them all has been destroyed and along with it Saroun. Elrond has left Middle Earth, and Aragorn and Arwen find a that a new evil is a foot.


1.

Human among Elves

Years ago, just before the Ring that ruled all rings was destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom, from whence it was born, a family rode through Rivendell. A band of orcs attacked the family throwing all passengers off the carriage. All passengers, except a small baby girl were brutally killed and left on the side of the road. The baby girl did not cry until a wood elf stopped to investigate the scene while on their way back to their home. They found the baby and took it in. After the ring was destroyed, the elves pondered on what to do with the child. Legolas took a liking to the child and suggested that it be taken it back to its kind, the humans. Legolas set out to take the child to Aragorn who said that he could not look over the child constantly.

Aragorn found a family for the child, but thieves attacked the family and again the child was the only survivor. Aragorn took the small girl back to live with the elves; no one knows whom her family was or where she came from. The child was given the name, Astrid and kept under close watch of the elves.

Fifteen years later we find the same girl wandering the woods near Rivendell. Her long, loose, brown hair caught the wind. She wore a long earth green dress. Her bow was drawn with a nicely feathered arrow resting on its string, aiming at the sound that came from behind trees. Her ears were good at hearing, not as good as most of the elves' of course but it was better than most humans. Leaves crunched lightly under the shadow's feet.

"Show yourself," the girl commanded. "Or I shoot."

A human dressed in armor and dark brown hair came out from behind the trees. The man looked at her with curiosity then surprise.

"Aragorn," the girl breathed lowering her bow and arrow. "It's just you."

"Just me," Aragorn laughed coming closer to give the child a warm embrace. "Astrid, my how you have grown…and given up the sword I see."

"No," Astrid said welcoming the embrace. "I have just also taken up the bow."

Aragorn looked behind him and watched his horse walk to his side. "Does anyone know you are out this far?"

Astrid smiled, "You know they won't let me."

Aragorn nodded, and took her reply as a no. He lifted her onto his horse and started to walk towards the safe walls of Rivendell.

"Aragorn, why are you here," Astrid asked, knowing that he rarely came without notice.

"I have something of importance to discuss with the elves," Aragorn replied, determined not to let her pry into business that would only put her in danger.

Astrid nodded, knowing she would get nothing more from Aragorn. "The trees talk sweetly of your return," she said listening to the wind.

Aragorn smiled at her words. "Do they not have reason?"

Astrid nodded. After all he was one of the many that ensured the survival of Middle Earth.

Aragorn watched Astrid as he walked beside his trusted horse. She had changed quite a bit, she had grown in beauty and in height. Also, she seemed more alert, more in tune with nature and he sensed an essence of magic about her. No doubt, Gandalf had his part in raising her. Now, she had this new skill with a bow, which he still didn't know it's extent but if his good friend Legolas had anything to do with it, he didn't want to be the target. Aragorn also noticed that she had gained control of herself. Instead of running to greet him, like she did a couple years ago, she greeted him and he came to her. She was growing up.

The walls of Rivendell were soon insight as well as Astrid's tutor who waited impatiently. Astrid looked to the sky, the sun was just over head, high noon, she had missed her lesson in history.

"Astrid," the old elf said. "Did you forget something?"

Astrid frowned, "I'm sorry, but I did bring back someone from a very important part of the history of Middle Earth," she said trying on a smile.

Aragorn laughed.

"Welcome Aragorn," the elf said, still eyeing Astrid. "Where was she, may I ask?"

"The outer woods of Rivendell," Aragorn answered, helping Astrid off his horse.

The elf closed his eyes and shook his head. "How you escape, I will never know," he said to Astrid, beckoning her to come to him. "The others will be here within a day or two, King of Gondor."

Aragorn nodded and led his horse to the stables before retreating to one of the guest rooms to prepare for the important meeting.

Astrid followed her tutor to her room where she was locked in.

"When will you ever learn what we do is for your own good," the elf said through the thick wooden door.

"Yet, you don't know why I am protected," Astrid calmly replied before going to her window where two elfin guards waited below for anything she might do to try to escape. Astrid turned away from the window and laid her bow on her bed along with her quiver of arrows. Then she walked to a darker corner of the room where a staff was and she fingered feathers just below the jewel on top of the wooden staff. She could use magic to escape, but she only knew how to unlock doors, put up weak shields and heal. Gandalf hadn't taught her the dangerous magic yet. She couldn't actually fight with it, and she knew that's what Gandalf probably intended for her. However, Astrid didn't see the point in knowing magic if she couldn't defend herself with it as well as heal others. Then again, she knew that the elves probably had a say in it, it would be easier if she didn't know how to fight with it. It made it all easier to keep her in the cage of Rivendell. She lived among the elves, and most had the ability to heal, it was best that she live like them if she lived with them.

Astrid wandered over to the wash bowl on the stand by her bed and peered at her reflection on the water. The only thing that distinguished her from the elves were her human ears and even then her long brown hair covered them most of the time. She wondered what Elladan and Elrohir would do if they ever found out that she had ventured once beyond the woods, and beyond Rivendell. She had wandered for a couple days when she was first locked up.

Astrid walked back to her window and looked out, as far as she could, beyond the trees. Longing to be out there, beyond these walls that kept her from knowing just because she was the only one to survive out of two accidents that they knew of. Then again Elves knew most everything, which means they probably did know that she had wandered. "You only brought this on yourself," she whispered to herself, sitting on the wide ledge of her window. "Why do they protect me? Why don't they trust me? I wonder if Aragorn endured what I must."

Then there was a knock on the door, a key scraped against the key hole and the door opened. It was Elladan. The head elf entered the room and closed the door behind him. Astrid turned her head to look out the window.

"Not thinking of jumping are you," Elladan asked lightly.

Astrid shook her head. "No, just thinking why I must be protected, even you don't understand. I have been the only survivor of two events, so this must mean I need protection. Why can't I venture out? I don't understand."

Elladan listened to Astrid, he was the most patient of the twin elves. "We protect you because you are human in an elfin land. We don't let you roam because we made a vow to protect you."

"I can't stay here forever and you know that Elladan," Astrid replied. "I want to know what is beyond here. I am grateful for what you give me, I do not reject your protection completely. I have just hoped for more freedom as I age, not less and less. When I was young I could roam the courtyard without an elfin guard following me from a distance. "

"I understand," Elladan said, offering a hand to Astrid.

Astrid took the hand offered to her and Elladan lightly pulled her off the windowsill and closer to him. Astrid smiled then pushed away to look back out the window.

"It must be hard," Elladan said. "I wouldn't know from experience…"

Astrid looked back at Elladan for a moment, "what?"

"Not knowing who your parents are, or where you are from. Being couped up behind walls for no exact reason, knowing that somewhere out there you may still have a family and not being able to reach them…"

"Exactly," Astrid breathed.

"There is nothing here that you do not already know, you have been included in councils whether you were invited or not…but out there, there is so much that you have not learned."

Astrid looked hopeful at hearing Elladan's words.

Elladan said nothing for a while, but stared out the window behind Astrid. "I'm sorry, but you cannot leave, we still have a promise to keep." Elladan turned to leave and stopped at the door. "Don't try to escape, the guards are doubled tonight."

Astrid heard the door open and close, along with the click of the lock turned by the key. She sighed, "Right."


End file.
